Life After the Comet
by xFantasyLoverx
Summary: It's been three years since the comet and it's Zuko's 21st birthday. The gang is in the Fire Nation to celebrate his birthday, but thy're caught by a surprise they didn't want. Story is way better than summary  No wierd pairings either...fluff too :
1. The First to Arrive

**Alright party people, lets do this. I know it's a short chapter and probably kinda dry but it gets better. I promise. If you look at the story, pleaseeeee review. I wont post the second chapter until I get five reviews from five different reviewers. Okay? Hope you like it and remember, I own nothing and I am not trying to make money off it. (Although, I would love to be the creator of Avatar...jk) **

The shined brightly through the curtains and into Zuko and Mai's room. "Come on Zuko. Get up." said Mai as she poked him for the thousandth time.

"Mai please. It's Saturday." said Zuko sleepily.

"Yes I know that but Aang and Katara are coming today and we need to finish getting their room together."

"Why now?"

"Because." Mai tugged the blanket off and walked out into the hall, leaving Zuko alone. "He better not fall asleep again." she muttered. She walked down the hall to the room where Aang and Katara were staying. The bed was made neatly and the curtains were closed. Mai opened them, letting the light pour into the room. "Better." she said quietly. A servant came running into the room and looked at Mai.

" Can you make sure that the bed has clean sheets and the towels are clean?" asked Mai.

"The sheets are clean. They were replaced yesterday. And the towels were replaced this morning." said the servant softly.

"Very good. And the area for Appa?"

"That's all set."

"Thank you." Mai looked out the window and saw Appa flying across the sky. She hurried out of the room and into their own. "Zuko get-"

"I am up Mai." said Zuko as he walked out of the bathroom fully clothed.

"Good, they're here already."

"But they're early." Mai walked out of the room before he could finish. She walked quickly to the courtyard where Appa had landed. When she got there Katara was climbing off Appa. "Mai! How are you?" asked Katara, running toward Mai to give her a hug.

"Good. You guys are early."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. We got a head start but we didn't think that we would be this early."

"Oh that's fine." said Mai after Katara had released her from the hug. Aang jumped off Appa and landed gently in front of the two girls.

"Hello Aang."

"Hi Mai! Where's Zuko?" asked Aang, looking around for Zuko.

"Inside. It took him awhile to get up today."

"Oh. I always thought of Zuko as a morning person, you know, being a fire bender and all."

"Not this morning." added Katara.

"Right." answered Mai. Aang smiled suddenly as Zuko came up behind Mai. He put his mouth near her ear and whispered.

"Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear." Mai jumped and spun around to face Zuko.

"Don't do that!" Aang started to laugh but Katara shot him a disapproving look. "Zuko, your hair." said Mai.

"What about it?"

"Aren't you going to put it in a top knot?"

"No, I'm with you guys today."

"So Zuko, how does it feel to be twenty-one in two days." asked Katara.

"Doesn't feel any different." he answered.

"Not with you it wouldn't." said Aang. "So are you and Mai going to do anything special?" Aang nudged Zuko in the ribs. They both blushed deeply. The question was ignored.

"So Aang, you grew since the last time we saw you." commented Mai, filling in the awkward silence. He was a few inches taller than Katara, who hadn't grown much.

"Yeah. When are Suki, Sokka, Ty Lee, Toph, Iroh going to get here?"

"Tomorrow. The boat from Kyoshi Island should be here early afternoon and the boat from Ba Sing Se should be here late afternoon." explained Mai.

"So what are we going to do until then?" asked Aang.

"How about breakfast? The servants will bring Appa some hay when we go inside." said Zuko.

"Great, I'm starving" said Aang. They walked into the palace in silence and headed towards the big dining hall. The table was long but the group sat together on one side. Breakfast was brought out by servants, dish by dish. They began to eat. "Why is there so much food?" asked Aang between bites.

"They always make too much food." answered Mai. Aang nodded and continued to eat.

"Only if Sokka was here. He would be going crazy about all this food." said Katara.


	2. Escape

**So, my little friends, I have another chapter for you all. Thank you for the ppl that review, and for all that didn't review... come on it's not that hard. Geez. Anyways, michaelllaaxx... I didn't change anything, so that part you pointed out is still there. :P Another 5 reviews and chapter 3 is going up, okay?**

The morning passed slowly as Mai, Aang, and Katara wondered around the palace grounds. Zuko caught up with them eventually, after taking care of a few things. "Hey Zuko, do you want to practice some fire bending?" asked Aang.

"Sure. I don't see why not." replied Zuko.

"So what are Mai and I supposed to do?" asked Katara.

"I don't know. Whatever you two feel like doing." answered Aang. Katara turned towards Mai.

"Oh Mai! Let's go shopping! It'll be fun!"

"I… uh… don't know about that. I'm not really the shopping type. Said Mai slowly, trying to find a way out of the shopping trip.

"Come on Mai. Please?"

"Yeah Mai. It'll be fun." said Aang sarcastically.

"Fine, but only for a little while."

"Great! Let's get going." said Katara as she grabbed Mai's wrist. Zuko and Aang watched as Katara pulled Mai along. They turned around and started to walk towards the court yard. They walked on, until Aang broke the ice. "Mai looked oh- so happy to go shopping."

"She hates shopping. But just be glad it wasn't us." Aang laughed and Zuko took off the extra robes. "For the record, I haven't done this in awhile." Aang nodded. Fire blasted from Aang's hands, straight towards Zuko. He blocked the fire from hitting him and shot back at Aang. They went back and forth until they were out of breath. "I thought you said that you hadn't done this in awhile." said Aang, between deep breaths.

"True, but I didn't say that I had lost any skill." said Zuko as he sat down.

* * *

Mai leaned up against the wall while Katara was looking through the dresses. "Mai! Look at this one!" she had said for the thousandth time. She sounded like Ty Lee.

"I see it Katara." replied Mai.

"It would look great on you." she said as she put it aside.

"I think that's enough. I'm going to go try these on now." said Mai as she picked up twenty- something dresses. Mai sighed and Katara grabbed her dresses.

"I'm not buying all these dresses." stated Mai."Why not?"

"I don't need," she stopped to count. "twenty five dresses. I'll buy ten okay?"

"Sure." After trying on all the dresses, Mai paid for them. Katara smiled at the twenty different bags.

"Now you have something nice to wear for Zuko's birthday." said Katara. Mai nodded. They walked out of the shop together and made their way back to the palace.

* * *

Suki, Sokka, and Ty Lee were the first to arrive the next day. The boat was docked and the three of them walked off, scanning the crowd for the others. "I see them!" said Ty lee, pointing towards the others.

"Let's go!" said Sokka as he pushed through the crowd.

"Sokka, calm down! We'll get there." said Suki loudly over the crowd.

"I know but I want to tell them!" They reached the others, after Sokka pushed past everybody. "Sokka!" cried Katara as she went to go hug him. Suki laughed and everybody looked at her.

"What?' asked Aang?

"Nothing." said Suki as she stopped laughing. "I'll tell you guys later. Ty Lee did a cartwheel over to Mai. "Hi Mai!" she hugged her. "I've missed you!"

"It's good to see you too Ty Lee." Katara looked at Suki. A ring glittered on her left hand. She gasped. "Suki…are you getting married?" asked Katara. She looked at Sokka.

"Yes I am!" said Suki, giggling. Everyone looked at Suki and Sokka.

"You are getting married to Sokka, right?" asked Aang.

"Of course! Who else?" said Sokka. Aang shrugged his shoulders.

"That's what I what I was gonna tell you guys later but Katara got to it first." explained Suki.

"Sorry." said Katara.

"It's okay. Anyways, we're not here for to talk about that. We're here for Zuko." Suki walked over to Zuko and gave him a quick hug, followed by Ty Lee. "It's been awhile since we've seen each other. Let's go back to the palace." said Aang. Mai and Zuko nodded, leading the rest of the gaang back to the palace.


	3. The Gaangs All Here

**So I decided that I would post chapter 3 even though I need another review. I'm just getting impatient. Thank you to the people who have reviewed. And another thing I forgot to say, michaelllaaxx is the co- author of this story. Also, I do not own any the characters or anything that has to do with Avatar...unfortunetly. :P Come on and grow up and reviewwww. Sorry if the chapters are short but it looking like this story is gonna be around 15 to 20 chapters. Enjoy!**

Azula looked around her room. It wasn't much. Just a desk, chair, and a bed. She couldn't have much while she was in the mental ward. "I'll get out of here. Whether they let me out or I'll let myself out." said Azula everyday. The window was small but that was fine. She'd find a way out of there sooner or later.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when everybody sat down for lunch. The courtyard was beautiful with all the flowers, plants, and the little pond. Servants brought out food course by course. "Toph and Iroh should be here sometime after lunch." said Mai, after taking a sip of her drink.

"And tomorrow is the big day!" added Sokka, from across the table.

"Do you think that Azula would remember your birthday?" asked Ty Lee.

"Probably not." replied Zuko.

"Well you never-" Katara put her hand on Ty Lee's arm, warning her to stop.

"Anyways, tomorrow is going to be amazing. And everybody is going to be here. The whole team." said Suki. Everybody nodded.

"That hasn't happened in awhile." added Aang.

"We're here!" sand Toph as she walked into the courtyard with Iroh.

"Toph! Iroh!" said Mai as she stood up.

"Uncle!" said Zuko as he gave Iroh a hug.

"It's been too long Zuko." said Iroh.

"Won't you join us for lunch?" asked Mai. They nodded and sat down.

"How's it going twinkle toes?" asked Toph

"Hey Toph."

Suki and I are getting married!' blurted Sokka as Toph took a sip of her drink. She nearly spit it out. "Sorry." Iroh looked at them.

"Congratulations." he said with a smile.

* * *

Azula glanced up at the window of her room and back to the line of unconscious guards. "I don't need the window." she said under her breath. The sun hadn't risen yet and her cloak made her look like nothing. Azula walked out of there like a free girl and next was her father.

* * *

When Zuko woke the next morning the curtains were already drawn and Mai was no where to be found. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and sat there. Mai burst through the door. "Zuko your awake! Finally!" She grabbed some clothes and threw them at Zuko. "Get dressed."

"Mai you're not planning anything crazy are you? You know that I didn't want my birthday to be crazy, I want it simple."

"I'm not doing anything like that." lied Mai. "Just get dressed." Zuko got dressed and Mai grabbed his hand and pulled him to the entrance of the dining room.

"Close your eyes." ordered Mai as she stepped in front of the door.

"Fine." he sighed. Zuko closed his eyes and Mai opened the door. She guided him into the room. "Okay! Open your eyes!" said Mai excitedly. Zuko's eyes opened and he was looking at the rest of the gaang. "Happy birthday Zuko!" they said.

"Thanks guys." said Zuko as he walked to the table. Decorations covered the table and food was being brought out. "Happy birthday." said Mai as she gave a kiss to Zuko. She went to sit at the table.

"Come on! Sit!" said Aang as he motioned over Zuko. He went and sat next to Mai.

"You guys didn't have to do this, really." said Zuko.

"We wanted to. So how do you feel to be twenty- one?" asked Suki.

"No different." commented Zuko.

"Of course." said Zuko as she shoved food into her mouth. "You never feel anything like your girlfriend over there." Mai looked at Zuko and everybody laughed. A servant appeared in the doorway. Aang saw her first.

"Zuko." he said, pointing to the girl. Zuko waved his hand and she walked over to him. "Yes?" She whispered something in Zuko's ear. His emotion stayed the same. He nodded and the servant walked away. "Aang. Uncle. I need to talk to you." said Zuko as he got up. The rest of the group watched as Zuko, Aang, and Iroh walked out of the dining room.

**Just thought I'd let everybody know that I enoy writing cliff haangers very much, so be prepared. If you don't wanna wait, tell your friends to review(:**


	4. The Unwanted Surprise

**A/N: Here's chapter four! Read and review! Enjoy! Stylishgeek5: Thanks for the advice! Hopefully it works! (: **

**Skyland D. Water: I let them out of jail for a reason, that's why I'm writing the story. If they weren't out of jail then there would be no story.**

**Everyone else who has reviewed: Thanks so much for the reviews! Keep it up! (:**

Zuko paced in the hallway in front of Aang and Iroh. He walked over to the wall and punched it, leaving an indent. "I knew this would happen! It's been three years! I knew it! Why didn't I do anything?" muttered Zuko, he was standing with his hands against the wall and looking down.

"Zuko, what happened?" asked Iroh. Zuko turned to face Aang and Iroh. He looked at the two of them. "Azula broke out this morning and now she's going to get my father." Aang and Iroh looked at Zuko.

"Are you kidding?" asked Aang.

"Why would I kid about that?" snapped Zuko. He punched the wall again.

"Zuko calm down. We'll figure this out." said Iroh as he walked closer to Zuko. "Let's tell the others and we'll figure out what we're going to do next."

"And fast." finished Aang.

"Fine. Let's go." said Zuko as he pushed the dining room doors open. When Zuko, Aang, and Iroh walked in everybody stood up. "Aang, what's going on?" asked Katara.

"Az-" started Aang but Iroh warned him to stop.

"Let Zuko tell them." he whispered. Iroh looked at Zuko and he looked at the others.

"What's going on?" asked Suki, taking hold of Sokka's hand.

"Azula broke out of her metal ward." said Zuko slowly. Silence was followed and nobody knew what to say.

"She what?" asked Ty Lee.

"You heard me Ty Lee!" snapped Zuko, small flames curling from the tips of his fingers. Mai walked over to him and looked at him.

"Calm down Zuko. Ty Lee didn't mean anything, you know that." she whispered.

"Fine," he answered. "We have to work fast though."

"So what are we going to do?" asked Sokka.

"Send a hawk to the prison. Tell them to lock down the prison." said Toph.

"Okay, that's good. But knowing Azula she would plan for the prison to be on lockdown." added Mai.

"Send the hawk anyways." said Zuko.

"And we'll meet her there. What a surprise for her." said Aang as he walked towards Katara.

"Zuko, we'll be there to help. This isn't just your problem." said Katara. "We knew this would happen someday."

"What a great day to spend your birthday, right Zuko?" asked Sokka.

"It was never that much of a special day for me." muttered Zuko.

* * *

The hawk soared through the sky towards the prison. One of the guards outside saw the hawk and held out his hand. The hawk landed on it gently and sat there quietly while the guard read the message. His eyes widen and the hawk flew away. The guard ran inside. Azula watched as the prison entered lockdown. "Good old Zuzu. Always so predictable." she said as she laughed. She already knew how to get past everything.

* * *

Appa shifted his position gently while Momo ran around him. "Aang, is Appa ready yet?" asked Katara.

"Yeah but he's not going to be able to carry everybody." he replied.

"That's okay. Not all of us are going that way." said Zuko as he walked by.

"Okay…?" said Aang, looking confused.

"You, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and Toph are going on Appa." he explained. "Mai, Ty Lee, Uncle and I are going to the prison by foot. It's not that far. I want you guys to make sure Azula and Ozai don't leave. Okay?" Aang nodded.

"Sounds good Zuko."

"Let's go!" called Zuko to Mai, Ty Lee, and Iroh. The three of them walked over and then they set off.

"Yip yip!" shouted Aang and they took off into the sky. "Remember the plan!" reminded Aang.

**So I kinda realized that this chapter is mostly conversation, and certainly not my favorite. Sorry. Please review! :D Not the greatest chapter, it'll get better I promise! Just wait!**


	5. It's Now or Never

**A/N: Okay, my pretty little friends, time for chapter 5..out of 14! (Yes I know cause I already finished writing it in my note book and I just gotta type it all.) I noticed as I was typing this one it switches from group to group a lot, you'll see. (; Anyways, read and review and I hope you guys like it!**

**Cbarge: Thanks for the review, and I'm trying my hardest to make it stand out from the rest(:**

**And thanks to all the rest who have reviewed, you guys motivate me to keep writing! **

Everything was going the way she wanted it to. Azula could see Appa flying high above the prison. "So predictable." said Azula as she watched the flying bison. "This is too easy…too easy." The sun was almost at it highest point, almost noon. "Just a little longer." she thought. Azula looked around. None of the guards could see her, she was sitting at a blind spot between two towers. Easy, she thought but she didn't know what was coming.

Zuko and Mai stood on the hill that overlooked the prison. Ty Lee and Iroh were beside them. Zuko held Mai's hand tightly. "Uncle?" asked Zuko.

"Yes Zuko?" replied Iroh.

"What if Azula already got Ozai and they're gone." Iroh was silent for a moment.

"Then hopefully the other's have already gotten them." he sighed. "Zuko, whatever happens we will find a way to find Azula and Ozai."

'Of course! They won't get away!" said Ty Lee.

"Alright. Thanks. Let's go. Let's go find Azula." said Zuko as he started walking towards the prison.

* * *

Katara climbed to where Aang was sitting. "Aang, how do you think Azula got out?" she asked, inching closer. Aang looked at her.

"It's been three years since she was put into that metal place." Aang put his arm around Katara and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"What if we don't Azula?" asked Azula quietly.

"Katara, I don't think that would happen and if it did we would find her." whispered Aang. A few moments passed in silence before Aang said something. "I see them!" he pointed towards the ground.

"They're finally here!" Sokka looked over the edge and saw them too.

* * *

"So where would Azula be?" asked Sokka. "I don't know honestly." said Zuko. "Do you Aang, or anybody really?" Aang shook his head.

"She would be hiding in a blind spot of the prison until she started her plan." said Ty Lee, looking at the prison. Everyone looked at her.

"That actually makes sense." said Zuko. "Then we have to find that spot and hope that Azula is still there." said Iroh as he stood up. "Let's go." Everyone got up and walked towards the prison, not knowing what to expect.

* * *

She could hear them coming. And she knew that they would eventually find her hiding spot. "I think it's over here." said a girl. It took Azula a minute to figure out who's voice it was. Ty Lee. She missed having Ty Lee and Mai as friends but they were traitors, in her eyes at least. Ever since Boiling Rock. Now she didn't have any friends or anyone close to her besides her father. And that was why she was here.

* * *

They found the spot at last. After circling the entire prison they found the blind spot. The group stood behind the corner before they did anything. "I think half of us should stay here and fight Azula and the other half should make sure that Ozai is still there." said Suki.

"That's a good idea." commented Iroh.

"Okay, who wants to stay here?"

"I'll go to Ozai." said Katara.

"Me too." said Suki and Sokka.

"I guess I'll go to." said Toph.

"And the rest of us will stay here to fight Azula." said Aang. Everyone nodded. "Alright guys, let's do this." said Ty Lee. Katara hugged Aang before Sokka, Suki, and Toph left. "Be careful." she whispered. He nodded. Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, Aang, and Iroh looked at each other before rounding the corner to face Azula. "It's now or never guys." said Aang quietly.

* * *

They found Azula sitting in the corner, in a ball. As they got closer Azula looked up. She smiled and let out a laugh. "Well if it inst Zu Zu, Mai, Ty Lee, uncle, and the avatar. I've been waiting for you." she got up from her corner and looked at everyone. "Took you long enough to get here." Zuko took a look at Azula and his hands tightened into fists. "To afraid to come by yourself, Zu Zu? Yu just had to bring four other people. Why Mai and Ty Lee? The were never any good. They'll turn on you, like they did to me. And Uncle, fat lazy old uncle-"

"Don't talk that way about them!" yelled Zuko.

"Zuko, calm down." whispered Mai. "She's just trying to get into your head."

"Oh Mai. You and your stilettos. You were never that good either." said Azula, taking a step closer. Mai grabbed a stiletto and threw it at Azula, pinning her to the wall of the prison.

**I hope you guys liked it, sorry it took so long to update. Chapter six will be posted soon.**


	6. He's Back

**A/N: So, fellow Avatar lovers, only one person reviewed for chapter 5... I'm thoroughly disappointed normally I have 3 or 4. Come on people… Anyways here's chapter six and hopefully you guys are more thrilled about this one. (I don't even care if the reviews are bad…) **

**If any of you want a Spanish translation, message me please and I'll see what I can do. Thanks! ~~~**

**Si alguno de ustedes quiere una traducción al español, por favor enviarme un mensaje y veré lo que puedo hacer. Gracias!**

**xFantasyLoverx**

Sokka and Suki ran through the hall with Katara and Toph behind them. "The guard said that his cell was over here." said Sokka as he slowed down. The guard standing outside Ozai's cell looked at the four of them.

"What are you four doing down here? You're not allowed down here." said the guard. "We need to get into that cell." said Sokka impatiently. "And why do you need to do that?""We need to make sure that the prisoner in there is still on there.""Of course he's still in here. The only way out is through this door. I've been here all day.""Just move, alright?" asked Katara, now losing her patience. "Look, I'm not allowed-" Suki punched h hard in the head. He fell to the floor. "Why didn't we do that five minutes ago?" asked Sokka. Suki looked at him. "Toph, can you metal bend the door?" asked Katara. "Yeah, sure." Toph walked to the door and placed her hands on the door. Within seconds the door was on the ground. "You are amazing." said Sokka. "Thanks.""Hey!" said Suki, putting her hands on her hips. "Suki your even more amazing." said Sokka. "Thank you." Suki smiled. The four of them stepped into the cell. They looked around. "This is so not good." moaned Katara. "Nice shot Mai!" exclaimed Ty Lee as she looked at Azula. Mai threw another stiletto, pinning her other arm to the wall. "It won hold for long." said Mai. "Alright." said Aang. "Look guys, I really don't want to fight. Is it necessary?""Then how are we going to get Azula?" asked Zuko. "Zuko watch out!" yelled Ty Lee. Zuko spin around and blocked the fire ball ha. Was coming towards him. Azula smiled and pulled her arms off the wall. "I told you guys it wouldn't hold for long." said Mai. Zuko shot back but she was to fast for him. Aang blasted her with air, causing her to fall back. She got up and laughed. "Is that all you can do? The five of you? Pathetic!" laughed Azula. She started running away from the prison. "Let's go!" shouted Aang. They ran after her, not knowing where she was going.

The cell was empty. Completely empty. They looked around. "He's not here, is he? I can only feel us." said Toph.

"He's not here…" echoed Suki.

"Where else would he have gone?" asked Sokka. Nobody answered.

"We gotta tell the others." said Katara, turning to leave the cell.

"Wait," said Toph, causing everyone to look at her. "There's someone underneath us."

"What?" said Katara, Suki, and Suki together. Toph earth bended the some of the dirt under them. The three of them stared at the ground. Beneath them was a tunnel. "Come on!" said Toph as she jumped into the tunnel. The rest followed Toph and walked through the tunnel. "So where's the person?" asked Sokka.

"Right here." said Toph, turning to face the wall of the tunnel. Dirt fell away, showing a guard that was tied up. He looked up. "Well, he's not Ozai, but maybe he can give us some answers." said Suki. Katara walked over to the guard. She pulled off the cloth that was covering his mouth. "Who are you guys? Wait, your friends of the Avatar! Is he near by? You need-" said the guard quickly before he was cut off.

"Slow down. Who did this to you?" asked Sokka.

"Ozai!" he replied without hesitation.

"Where'd he go?"

"I have no idea! He took me down here yesterday and left me here." explained the guard. "I'm surprised none of the other guards have looked for me." he mumbled.

"And it looks like I came back at the right moment." said Ozai. Sokka, Suki, and Katara looked at Ozai. Toph stayed where she was. "And look, you brought the earth bender. Wonderful." Ozai walked towards Toph but Katara blocked his way. "Get out of the way girl." said Ozai as he pushed Katara, making her fall. He grabbed Toph's arm, gripping her tightly. "Listen earth bender, you are going to listen to me and do every word I say. Otherwise, things aren't going to end well. Got it?" said Ozai. Toph nodded. "Alright. Let's get going. And on our way out, close them in, will you."

"Fine." Ozai pulled Toph and she followed. "Sorry guys. I'll be back." she whispered, then she closed off the tunnel, trapping Suki, Katara, Sokka, and the guard.

"Why'd so do that?" shouted the guard.

"Because she had to." said Suki. "We're going to find a way out though.

"The question is, how are we going to get out of here." said Katara.

**A/N: So there you go, chapter 6. Hope you guys like it. Please please please review. Reviews are my drug, I need 'em! **


	7. Underground

**Yay! More reviews! Thank youuuuu! So don't worry, I'm still continuing, whatever you other people think. There will be a total of 14 chapters in this story, okay? I'm sorry it's taking so long to update. I've been super busy and I've been studying for mid-terms :/ I'm hoping that I can type these faster…and not get distracted. Oh and I know I haven't put a disclaimer in awhile so…I do not own A:TLA, unfortunately, and I am not making money off this. **

**The musical bender: Yes, you are correct. Mai and Zuko are not married. **

**Cbarge: I'm glad you like the turn of events. Hopefully you'll like the rest!**

**So, without further ado, here's chapter 7. Read and review people! :D**

Ozai pulled Toph down the tunnel, taking multiple turns. Silence hung in the air as the two walked on, not that they had a lot to talk about. "Can I ask you something?" said Toph, finally. Ozai continued walking and didn't answer. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, turning her head in the direction of Ozai. The question caused Ozai to stop suddenly and make Toph walk into him.

"Watch where you're going earth bender." growled Ozai.

"I can't!" said Toph, waving her hand in front of her eyes. Ozai grunted and continued walking, pulling Toph by her arm. "Where are we going?" she asked, getting annoyed of being dragged.

"You'll find out and will you shut up now?" replied Ozai, quickly. They kept on walking and the two were covered with silence again.

Azula gave a short cry as she fell into the ground. She was gone. Zuko, Mai, Aang, Ty Lee, and Iroh stopped running as they came up to the place were Azula disappeared. They looked at the ground in confusion. "Where'd she go?" asked Ty Lee, looking up at everybody.

"Back up." said Aang. Everyone did what he told and he made a hole where Azula had gone. He jumped into the hole and looked around. "Nothing. No tunnel or anything." said Aang as he jumped out. They all stared at him.

"Well she had to have gone some where." said Zuko.

"I know but it doesn't make sense. She couldn't have just disappeared." said Aang.

"She would have needed an earth bender to do that." said Iroh.

"An earth bender…Toph!" exclaimed Mai, almost shouting.

"What about Toph?" asked Ty Lee.

"She's an earth bender and she's with Katara, Sokka, and Suki! Maybe they have Azula!" explained Mai. Everyone looked at her.

"That may be right." said Zuko. They ran back to the prison, hoping that what Mai had said was true.

Azula looked around. It was dark and she couldn't see anything. The last thing she remembered was running and then falling down a hole, a deep one. She tried to stand up but she fell back down in pain. Her leg was broken. "Azula? Where are you? Where'd she go?" Tell me." said a voice not to far away.

"I told you, she's right in front of us." said another voice. Azula realized that the first voice was her father.

"Father?" called Azula. A light came towards them, showing Ozai and Toph.

"Azula! There you are." Ozai walked over to her and put a hand out to help her up.

"My leg is broken." explained Azula. Ozai turned to look at Toph.

"I told you to be careful!" he yelled.

"Well I told you that I couldn't. All I could do was make a hole for her to fall down." Ozai growled and picked up Azula like a child and held her in his arms. "Let's go." he hissed. "I want to get out of here." Toph stepped in front of them and started to clear the way.

Prisoners watched as Mai, Zuko, Ty Lee, Aang, and Iroh ran past their cells. "It's the Firelord and the Avatar!" some of them whispered.

"Did you here that today was the Firelord's birthday?" others asked. They ignored the comments and questions and kept running towards Ozai's cell. When they got to the cell they saw the guard lying on the ground. "Well he's alive and look at the door." said Iroh.

"They were here." finished Aang. They walked into the cell and almost fell into the hole that led to the tunnel.

"Why would they take Ozai underground?" asked Mai quietly.

"Let's find out." said Zuko as he jumped into the hole. The rest followed. It wasn't long before Aang stopped suddenly. "What?" asked Ty Lee.

"I can hear somebody screaming." he walked to the wall. "Here." he said. He made the dirt fall, showing Sokka, Suki, Katara, and a guard. Katara ran to Aang and hugged him. "I'm glad you're alright." she whispered.

**There you go! Chapter 7! (Sorry if it's kinda short) Please review!**


	8. A Way Out

**A/N: Ahhhh I'm sooooo sorry guys! I haven't updated in forever! Don't worry, I'm still going to continue the story. I've been so super busy and I haven't had the time to write or do anything. I'm sorry! Please review, and I hope you guys aren't mad. D: And thanks for all you reviewers for staying with me!**

"Where's Toph?" asked Mai, looking around.

"With Ozai. He took her." said Katara.

"Well, start from the beginning." asked Iroh.

"Okay well Katara, Suki, Toph and I had made it to the prison and we found Ozai's cell. The guard wouldn't let us in so Suki punched him. So we got into the cell but Ozai was already gone. Then Toph heard someone underground and she found the tunnel. Toph heard the guard. We found him then Ozai showed up and took Toph." explained Sokka. Everybody looked at him.

"Great. Just awesome. So that explains were Azula went." said Zuko.

"So I was half right. Azula's with Toph…and Ozai." said Mai. Aang explained to Sokka, Suki, and Katara what had happened to them earlier.

"Hello? Did you guys forget about me?" asked the guard that was still tied up. They had.

"No! Of course not!" lied Sokka.

"So what's going to happen to me?" he asked.

"We'll let you go when we get back out." The guard nodded.

"And what about Toph?" asked Mai.

"She'll figure out something soon and we'll find her." said Aang.

"Let's get out of here" said Ty Lee.

"Okay, let's go."

"That should be good, earth bender." said Ozai.

"Fine, let me check something." Toph walked off and heard Azula talking. "Don't let her go off like-" Azula shrieked as a stone wall raised around her and Ozai. She smiled. Toph raised the earth above her so she could get out. Toph could her Azula shrieking at Ozai. "How could you let her do that? She's gone now and we have no way out!" Toph pounded on the wall, causing Azula to shriek again.

"You're not as smart as you thought you were, are ya?" said Toph as she walked away.

Aang looked at everybody. "We need to find a way to get back to Toph." he said as he sat in the ground. "And we have no idea were she is."

"They could be anywhere." said Suki. The gang sat on the ground, trying to figure out a way to get to Toph.

"We know Toph, if we don't find her first, she'll find us." said Sokka. Everybody nodded.

"So what if we go back up and look around. Maybe she left some markings or something." said the guard. Zuko looked at him.

"You just was to get out of here, don't you?" asked Zuko. The guard nodded.

"Anyways," said Aang. "We're a large group. So maybe we can split up and try to find her." When Aang finished talking, the opening of the wall shot up, trapping the crew. Katara screamed and looked at Aang. They were trapped. "What are we going to do?" asked Mai as she looked at the wall. Nobody answered.

"Of course this would happen!" said the guard.

"Will you be quiet!" yelled Zuko.

"Focus you guys. Just calm down." said Aang. Everybody was quiet. The opening went back down but this time Toph was standing in the door way.

"You guys are hopeless." said Toph.

"Hey! We're not- oh." said Sokka.

"What?" asked Aang.

"Aang, are you an earth bender?" reminded Sokka.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with- oh. I get it." finished Aang. He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand and sighed.

"Seriously Aang? You forget you were and earth bender?" asked Katara.

"Told you. You guys are hopeless." repeated Toph.

**A/N: Sorry it's mostly convo. And don't worry, I will update faster, okay? Please review.**


	9. Back To The Palace

**A/N: Okay, so you guys must, like legit hate me by now. I have no idea when the last time I posted a chapter. I've been super busy and frankly, I forgot about the story at one point. Gah, hopefully I'll be more on track and finish this. Since this is chapter 9, after this one there will be five more chapters and this story will be done. I hope you guys are still with me! Thanks to the people who have stuck with me. **

**I do not own A:TLA nor am I trying to make money off it blah blah blah. **

**Enjoy!**

Azula glared at Ozai. "How could you just leave her alone? We're stuck now! Put me down!" yelled Azula, quickly losing patience. Ozai dropped Azula, causing her to shriek at the pain. She pulled herself over to the wall and grab a rock that was stuck in the wall. Azula pulled herself into a standing position.

"So how do you plan on getting out of here?" asked Ozai bitterly.

"Give me a second." snapped Azula. She faced the wall and put her hands to it. The rock glowed red and started to melt away. She smiled. "That's our way out." Ozai stared at her. He walked over to help her but quickly realized that he could no longer bend. When Azula finished there was a hole big enough for the two to walk out.

* * *

The gang walked out of the prison, talking. "So what about Azula and Ozai?" asked Aang.

"Stuck underground some place." replied Toph as she kicked a rock.

"Nice." said Sokka, smiling.

"Aren't we going to get them and bring them back?" asked Aang with a concerned look painted on his face.

"Why on earth would we do that?" remarked Zuko.

"We can't just leave them there!"

"The world can go without them, Aang."

"But they're human! They don't deserve to die!" argued Aang. He stopped and looked at the rest of the gang.

"Again with the monk thing! It's okay, Aang." said Sokka, throwing his arms in the air.

"Appa!" shouted Aang. Appa came flying towards the group. Sokka, Suki, Katara, and Toph climbed onto the flying bison. Momo perched himself on the Avatar's shoulder. "Yip yip." said Aang angrily. And they were off back to the palace.

* * *

The palace was a welcoming sight for everybody. They were happy to be back were they had started. Everything was where they had left it expect the food had been taken away. It was almost one and the gang was hungry. "How about we finish celebrating a certain Firelord's birthday." said Mai as she sat down. Zuko sat down and everyone else followed. It was nice to sit after a morning of running.

"Here." said Suki as she handed Zuko a wrapped gift. "It's from me and Sokka."

"You guys didn't have to get me anything." said Zuko as he unwrapped the gift. It was two swords. Zuko picked them up and looked at them. "They're beautiful." he whispered. "Thank you." Several hours passed of eating and talking. Dinner had been brought out and everybody was relaxing. Everybody wasn't worrying about Azula and Ozai. The day was passing quickly and soon it was almost ten. Mai and Zuko stood up and looked at the rest of the group. :Well, Zuko and I are going to bed." said Mai, as she yawned.

"Yeah. Thanks for everything you guys." added Zuko.

"Night." Suki and Sokka were the next to go and Toph and Ty Lee were last. Iroh had gone earlier. Katara and Aang were left alone. Katara looked up and the stars and sighed. "You were great today Aang." she said, moving closer to him.

"Thanks. You were too." Aang pulled Katara closer. The courtyard was light by torches and their shadows swayed along the walls. "Aang?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Katara." Aang looked at Katara and kissed her. They pulled away. Aang and Katara walked towards the bedroom hand in hand.

* * *

The sun hadn't risen yet when Aang woke. He opened his eyes and looked around. Katara was still asleep. He threw the covers off himself and got up. Aang went over to get his shirt. "I'm sorry Katara." said Aang as he walked out with his staff. He couldn't just leave Azula and Ozai alone under ground.


	10. They're Gone

**A/N: Okay so I hope you guys enjoyed chapter 9. It probably wasn't that exciting. Sorry. Well here's chapter 10. Enjoy!**

**I do not own A:TLA not am I trying to make money off of it blah blah blah**

Azula and Ozai looked up at the star covered sky. "We're free." said Ozai. He sighed and then looked back at Azula. She was sitting on a rock nearby. "Now we can fix my leg." said Azula, looking at her swollen leg.

"Let's find some cloaks first though." said Ozai as he walked towards some houses. The laundry was out to dry and a couple of cloaks were hanging there. "How convenient." whispered Ozai. He threw one towards Azula and she put it on quickly.

"Come on. I want to get this leg healed or something." said Azula impatiently.

"Well, we're not going to find anybody to heal your leg in the middle of the night." snapped Ozai. Azula growled.

"Fine. Let's sleep.

"Okay. We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

Aang walked up towards the prison. He came here on foot. He didn't want to wake Appa. The guard let Aang in and he made his way towards Ozai's cell. Took had covered the hole but he knew where it was. He jumped into the hole thinking how crazy he was. He was about to face Ozai's and Azula by himself. Aang kept walking down the tunnel. Toph had them going for a while taking turns. Finally he came to a stop, a wall was in front of him. Aang made himself a way to get into the circle. He walked in and looked around. He saw a hole on the other side. "They're gone..." whispered Aang.

* * *

"He's gone!" said Katara as she burst into Sokka and Suki's room. Sokka sat up quickly. "What?"

"I woke up this morning and Aang wasn't in bed. I looked aroun-"

"Wait, Aang was in the same bed as you?"

"Let it go, anyways he isn't in the palace. His glider is gone too."She walked out and went to go tell Mai and Zuko. Sokka lied back down and sighed.

"Why does Aang always have to disappear?"

"No idea." Suki threw the covers off an threw clothes towards Sokka. Mai and Zuko came out of their room and was joined by Sokka and Suki. Everyone was in the hallway. "Where'd he go?" asked Katara.

"To go get Ozai and Azula." said Toph as she started walking down the hallway. "Come on!"

* * *

Azula was getting tired of being held like a child. She could walk, kind of,but she needed her fathers help. "Will you at least let me try to walk? Where are we going anyways?" Asked Azula impatiently. A town was getting closer with each step as Ozai took. "We're going here."

" But that place looks a good dump! A prince-"

"Will you be quiet!" Azula didn't talk the rest of the way there. Small houses made of clay stood around a small center. People were standing around a fountain in the middle. Each of them had a bucket. Ozai stopped walking and everybody looked at him and Azula. "Newcomers, I see." said a man standing against the house. " What are your names?"

"That much doesn't concern you." snapped Ozai.

"In a bad mood? Why are you carrying the girl?"

" Her leg is broken. We need a healer."

" We've got one. Back here." The man pointed towards a small house. " But first, I want to know your names."

"Orokana and Akuja."

"Really?" Azula nodded. "Our healer is ready."Ozai walked toward the house, knowing everybody was watching them. The house was small, very small. The healer looked up.

"How may I help you?" Her voice was scratchy.

" I want you to heal my daughter's leg." Ozai pointed to Azula's broken leg.

" Alright." Ozai put Azula on the ground, he sat down himself. There was a moment of silence before Ozai broke it.

" How do you feel about the old firelord, Ozai?" he asked.

**A/N: See ya'll in chapter 11! Hope you guys liked it!**


	11. Here We Go Again

**A/N: Although I doubt you guys are reading this anymore I'm going to post the rest of the chapters. Only a few more. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks (: Enjoy chapter 11!**

**I do not own A:TLA nor am I trying to make money off it blah blah blah. **

**Enjoy! Review!**

"Not all of us are going to fit on Appa." said Katara, looking up at the flying bison. The rest of the group had planned to go find Aang, even though they knew he would come back soon.

"Then some of us will have to walk." said Zuko. Mai nodded in agreement.

"We don't even know where Ozai and Azula were trapped." said Sokka. He looked towards the prison and sighed.

"I do." said Toph. "Are you forgetting who trapped them in the first place?"

"Right. Okay. Some of us will go on Appa and the rest will follow Toph to the prison. Sound good?" Everybody nodded. There was no need for argument at the moment.

"Zuko, Mai, and Iroh, come with me." said Toph as she started to walk to towards the prison. The other half climbed gently onto Appa. After a few glances, Sokka shouted "Yip yip!" and Appa flew off into the air above the others. Mai sighed and watched Appa fly high into the sky.

* * *

Aang looked around the hole a few more times. Azula had melted the wall. He didn't think that had been possible but Azula tended to prove things wrong. He went over to the wall and placed his hands against the cool rock. He took a deep breath and watched as the rock started to glow an orangey red. It started to melt and drip onto the ground. Aang knew now that he had to take Azula's bending away the first chance he got.

* * *

Mai looked down at the prison floor. The wide gap was still there. "Now what?" she asked, looking at the rest of them.

"We go down." said Iroh as he jumped into the hole. Zuko, Mai, and Toph followed behind him. Iroh and Zuko made small flames appear in the palms of their hands. The shadows of the rest bounced against the walls. Nothing had changed since the last time they had been down here. Toph walked in the front, with Iroh by her side. They took turns, twisting and turning several times. "How far did you take them?" asked Zuko.

"A pretty good distance." answered Toph.

"Any reason why?"

"Nope. No reason."

"So why did you bring them- oh why do I even bother?" muttered Zuko as he walked. After a few more minutes of silence, Toph stopped quickly and spoke. "We're here." A wall was standing in front of them. A gap was in the center. "Probably Aang." said Iroh, pointing to the makeshift door. "There's no way Azula and Ozai could have done that." There was a hint of doubt laced in his voice.

"So Aang was here but I can't see him anywhere."

"Aang left probably to go find Azula and Ozai, if the even got out. Or maybe he has them already."

* * *

The healer looked at Ozai and Azula held her breathe. She knew it was a risky question and Ozai knew that too. But risks had to made in order for them to get help. "How do I feel about the old Firelord, you ask." she repeated. Ozai nodded slowly. "Well, Firelord Ozai was a strong man and a strong leader. His actions were right. Anyone in this village would tell you that." Ozai smiled and glanced at Azula. She was in shock.

"Really?" he asked. The old healer nodded.

"Yes. These people of this village worshiped Ozai very much and they are angered by the new Firelord Zuko."

"So am I." said Ozai bitterly.

"You are unhappy that your son is at the throne." Azula cringed.

"My son? He his not my son." lied Ozai, wishing that the words he spoke were true.

"But you are Ozai, are you not?" the old lady looked at Azula. "And you are the princess, Azula." Both stared at her with wide eyes. "Am I correct?" Ozai and Azula nodded. The healer stood up and walked out of the house, leaving the two alone. They were both speechless before Azula spoke.

"Was it really that obvious?" she hissed.

"Apparently." Ozai looked towards the door, making sure nobody was listening.

"Well, we can work this to our advantage. The entire village worships you. I bet you can turn them even more against Zuko and the Avatar." Ozai thought for a moment.

"You're right Azula-" the healer walked back into the house but the man from earlier was with her. He studied the two for several seconds.

:So you are the great Ozai and Azula." he said happily. Ozai smiled.

"That's right. How would you like to help us with something?" asked Ozai with a evil smile.


	12. Some More Bad News

**A/N: And here's chapter 12. After this chapter there will be two more chapters, with a total of fourteen. I hope you guys enjoy! Please review! (I'm sorry you guys, but the chapter is mostly conversation. Sorry!)**

**I do not own A:TLA nor am I trying to make money off it blah blah blah. **

**Enjoy!**

Appa flew high in the sky with Sokka at the reins. Katara sat with Suki and Ty Lee in the back. She sat at the edge, looking down at the ground. "Where could he be?" whispered Katara as she pushed her hair out of her face. The prison was far behind them and they had no idea how far Toph had taken Ozai and Azula. "Sokka! Bring Appa down lower!" shouted Suki. Momo ran in circles as Appa headed towards the ground. Katara saw what Suki had seen. "It's Aang!" she cried. Sokka landed Appa and they all climbed off of the bison. "Aang! Aang!" He looked up and saw them running towards him. Aang stood up and Katara hugged him tightly. "You're crazy!" said Katara. She pulled away and looked at him.

"What has gotten into you!" said Sokka.

"I couldn't have just left them." he replied.

"So where are they?" asked Ty Lee.

"I don't know. They were gone before I got there." explained Aang as looked back in the direction of the tunnel.

"What!" exclaimed Sokka. "They're gone?"

"That's what I said."

"Great. Come on. Let's go and find the others." the five climbed onto Appa and the were gone after a quiet 'yip yip' from Aang.

* * *

Mai, Zuko, Toph, and Iroh walked out of the prison, not knowing what to do. Aang, Azula, and Ozai where gone and the rest of the gang was somewhere else. "So now what?" asked Toph.

"The best thing to do is wait for the others and not get into much trouble. Said Iroh.

"But we can't just sit here." snapped Zuko.

"Zuko calm down." said Mai. She sat down on a rock nearby and the others joined her. "Everything is going to be okay." whispered Mai. "We'll figure out what to do." she rested her head on Zuko's shoulder and he put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"I know. I didn't expect to spend these couple of days like this."

"Things happen Zuko." The four of them sat in silence before Iroh said something.

"I see them!" Mai and Zuko looked up to see Appa flying towards them. They stood up as the res t of the group got off Appa.

"Twinkle toes! It's good to see you again…well not really." said Toph. Aang laughed and quickly realized the situation they were in.

"Aang! Are you crazy-" started Zuko. He was interrupted by Sokka.

"Don't worry. He's already heard everything from Katara."

"Well somebody had to talk some sense into him." defended Katara. Aang explained to everybody what had happened in the past few hours, from leaving to the present point of time. A wave of silence covered the group and it took a while for it to wash away. Nobody knew where Ozai and Azula would go.

"Wait, there's a small village not too far from here. They would go there. They're loyal to Ozai. They've been threatening me ever since I became Firelord." said Zuko.

"They've what! Why haven't you told me?" said Mai as she smacked Zuko's arm.

"Fire lord stuff." Mai shot him a death glare.

"Anyways…we need to get to that village." said Aang, gravely.

* * *

The village leader looked at Ozai and Azula as if he had second thoughts about the two. A smaller man standing next to the leader whispered something to him and the leader's look deepened. "We'd be happy to do anything for you." he said finally. The smaller man's face looked shocked and betrayed.

"Wonderful." Ozai stood up and walked closer to the man. Azula followed like a puppy.

"Let's take this to a more private place?" said the leader. Ozai nodded and followed the man walk across the village center. People watched at the small group walked. Whispered voices filled the air. They entered a bigger hut that had more furniture. "So what can we do for the two of you.?" asked the leader, sitting in a chair.

"My daughter and I have broke out of prison to win back the throne." Ozai spoke slowly. "And we just need some assistance to reach this goal." The man nodded.

"Do you think your village is capable of burning down the palace?" asked Ozai. The leader looked shocked but recovered quickly.

"Where will you live?"

"No need to worry about that. We will build a new palace." The seated man nodded and got up. He quickly walked out side. Ozai didn't need to hear the answer, he knew he had won them over. Azula smiled and looked at her father.

"And what are we going to do?" she asked.

"We are going to find the Avatar and kill him like I should have the first time."


	13. Up In Flames

**A/N: Alrighty party people. Here's chapter 13, the second to last chapter. Again, mostly convo, I know I know. I gotta work on that. Anyways, we've got some action in this chapter. Heh heh. So I just thought that I'd tell you guys that there will be sequel. Lemme know what you guys think. **

**I do not own A:TLA nor am I trying to make money off it blah blah blah…etc**

**Enjoy!**

"That's the village over there." said Zuko, pointing towards the houses ahead of them. The gang ran towards the village. Sokka slowed down as they reached the village.

"I don't see anyone." he said, looking around. Nobody replied. When they walked into the center of the village they looked around, not moving. There wasn't anybody standing by the fountain or in any of the door ways. They found the houses to be empty as they looked around.

"Hey you guys! Over here!" called Aang. He was standing in the doorway of one of the houses. Everybody ran over to him and peered into the house. There was a little girl lying on the floor with a doll in her hand. She wasn't moving.

"Is she…ya know…dead?" asked Suki.

"I don't think so." said Aang. Katara walked into the house and stood by the girl. She squatted down lower and moved some of the girls hair. The little girl moved and opened her eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked frantically. "Wait you're the Avatar." The girl sat up.

"Yes I am. What are you doing here? Where's the rest of your village?" asked Aang. He took a step closer to her.

"I stayed behind. I don't like fire. My village went to ambush the palace." she spoke the last sentence slowly, her eyes falling onto Zuko and Mai. Katara shot a worried look towards Aang.

"How long ago did the leave?" asked Aang seriously.

"Not to long ago." They girl stood up and walked over to the table in the house. Zuko looked at Aang.

"We have to get to the palace or find Azula and Ozai now." he said.

"I know." Aang walked away and the rest of the group followed.

"Goodbye!" called the girl from the door. She waved and smiled.

* * *

The village people looked at the palace. The leader stood in front of them. "This is it, my people! This is the moment when we will please Ozai!" he yelled. The crowd erupted in cheers. They held up their torches and watched as the leader lit his torch. "Let's do this!" he yelled. The people lit their torches and ran towards the palace screaming.

Ozai and Azula watched as torches ran towards the palace. "Soon I will be Firelord again and the world will see fire once again." said Ozai. Azula looked at him. She smiled.

"It's been three years since you were Firelord. Three years to long." she said quietly.

"Yes." he said slowly. "This will be over soon." One of the unused parts of the palace went up in flames. The fire lit up the night sky. "Our plan is working." said Ozai as the fire engulfed another part of the palace.

* * *

The team stopped running when they saw the part of the palace go up in flames. "Zuko." whispered Mai as she grabbed his arm. The second part of the was washed over with flames. Everyone looked at the palace. "Katara! Come with me!" said Aang as he ran towards the fire. Katara followed quickly. Zuko saw Ozai and Azula standing not to far from where they were. "We have one more thing to do." said Zuko gravely.

* * *

The village threw more torches onto the raging fire that covered a part of the palace. The fire was high and consumed the torches quickly. The leader smiled at the burning palace. "More!" he screamed. As he finished, water sprayed the villager's torches. Aang and Katara ran towards the palaces. More watered rained over the palace. The fire hissed as the water hit it. Smoke went high into the air. A wave washed over the palace and the people. The fire was dieing down but the people grabbed more torches. Aang blasted wind at them at the people and the torches flew into the air. Katara put the last of the flames out. The villagers looked timidly at Aang and Katara, scared to do anything else. Aang and Katara looked up to where they had been standing. Blue and orange lit up the sky and Katara gasped. "Let's go!" she cried and the two of them ran towards the fight.


	14. It's Finally Over

**A/N: Okay, you guys! Here's chapter 14! The final chapter! Yay! For the record, this is the first story I have ever finished, so I'm proud of my self. :D Anyways, there will be a sequel, I'm not going to say about what because it will give away the ending. :3 **

**I do not own A:TLA nor am I trying to make money off it blah blah blah…etc. **

**Enjoy!**

"What's the matter Zu Zu?" said Azula as she backed up. "Sad to see you little palace burn down?" She hadn't noticed the fact that Aang and Katara had put out the fire. Zuko glared at Azula. Iroh was next to Zuko, helping him. Azula was getting tired, and they could tell. Ozai was fighting against the rest. Both were tiring and it was obvious. Sokka moved behind Azula. She raised her arms and Sokka caught them on the way down. She screamed and Toph encased the girl in rock. Ozai had been pulled into the ground with only his head above ground. Aang and Katara appeared next to them. "You guys missed all the fun." said Toph.

"Yeah, well, we had some of our fun." said Aang as he pointed to the palace.

"Thank you." said Mai, glancing at the half burnt palace.

"Say goodbye to your bending Azula. Tonight was the last night you will ever use them." Azula tried to break out of the rock as Aang did his work. Aang fell backwards but Katara caught him. Azula glared at the group and screamed. Toph took Ozai out of the ground but kept his hands and feet bound.

* * *

Everybody sat around the table. Food was coming and everyone was talking. Mostly telling stories and describing what had happened from their point of view. "I'm glad this is over." said Katara.

"Me too." added Ty Lee. Everyone else nodded. Food came out onto the tables and Sokka stared at it, eyes wide. "Great! The food is here!" he said excitedly.

"Calm down, Sokka. You'll get plenty of food." said Suki as she laughed. He grabbed food as soon as the platters were set onto the table.

"Uh, Aang, Sokka and Iroh, can I talk to you guys?" asked Zuko. They got up and walked out into the hallway. What's wrong?" asked Aang, looking concerned.

"I want to propose to Mai tonight but I don't know how to." explained Zuko. They looked at him.

"About time!" said Sokka. "It's been like three years. Geez."

"What's her favorite dessert?" asked Iroh, ignoring Sokka's comment.

"Fruit tarts."

"Oh! I know! Put the ring on top of the fruit tart and give it to her." said Sokka. Aang looked at Sokka like he was crazy.

"Really Sokka?" he said.

"It's a good idea." defended Sokka.

"Well, it's okay. But it'll work." whispered Zuko. "Thanks Sokka." They walked back into the dining room. The girls looked at them.

"Everything okay?" asked Mai.

"Yeah. I just needed an opinion." replied Zuko. As he walked back to his chair he bumped into the table, causing everyone to laugh. Zuko sat patiently as he waited for dessert to be brought out. He went to take some more food off a platter when his sleeve knocked over his glass, spilling water everywhere. "Dang it." he muttered as he tried to clean up the water. The group laughed as they watched him clean it up.

"Are you alright?" asked Sokka, trying to hold back the laugh that was building up inside him.

"Yeah, Zuko, are you okay?" asked Mai.

"I'm fine Mai." said Zuko with a smile. He glared at Sokka. He kept dropping food whenever he went to eat it, making a mess. He was nervous and the guys could tell. Iroh gave him sympathetic looks while Aang and Sokka were laughing at him. Zuko sighed as the desserts were brought out and the fruit tarts were set in front of him and Mai. Mai reached for one but Zuko quickly stopped him. "Here take this one." Mai looked at him weird. "It has rose petals on top." She smiled and took a bite of the tart, not realizing that the ring was on top.

"Are you trying to kill me?" coughed Mai after almost choking on the ring.

"No! I'm so sorry!" said Zuko. Mai looked at the ring.

"It's beautiful, Zuko."

"Mai, will you marry me?" asked Zuko. The girls sat there shocked and the guys smiled.

"Of course I will." said Mai. She stood up to give Zuko a hug.

"Mai?"

"Yes Zuko."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too." Zuko pulled Mai close and kissed her.

**A/N: Yay! Mai and Zuko are getting married. (Sorry it was so short, the chapter) I hope you guys liked the story, I'm sorry it took so long to put up. The sequel will be called Together At Last. I'm probably not going to be posting it for awhile because there will be a lot of planning going into this. Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you to all the people who have read and review my story! **


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